Brasilia is remarkable for a number of reasons, not least its aeroplane like street layout planned by Lúcio Costa. However it’s the distinctive architecture that draws most attention, and much of this was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Few architects are given the opportunity to design on such a scale, so it’s unsurprising that I recognised many familiar patterns and motifs appearing throughout the city’s many different buildings.
Somewhat forgotten in the last few months has been my thoughts on Brasilia which I visited all the way back in March. For such an incredibly city it seems remiss not to record my thoughts before they fade into distint memory.
For the final leg of my North American tour I transcended the West Coast on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. Getting to San Francisco wouldn’t be much fun, boarding a coach in Vancouver at a ridiculous hour in the morning and dealing with an offensive US border guard before arriving at a closed King Street station in Seattle sounding its fire alarm.
Sat in the front seat of another float plane, I enjoyed a breathtaking view of Vancouver as I descended into its harbour. For such a densely populated city, I felt I’d arrived somewhere small and friendly.
After eight days exploring North America, it was time to visit some of its more westerly extremities. Flying out from Toronto, my first stop was Saltspring Island, via Vancouver Airport and a float plane.